New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘KIE274’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea  Impatiens  plant named ‘KIE274’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and bushy growth habit; dark green-colored leaves; freely flowering habit; large light purple-colored flowers with purple-colored splotch; and flowers positioned above and beyond the foliage.

Botanical designation: Impatiens hawkeri.

Cultivar denomination: ‘KIE274’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of NewGuinea Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘KIE274’.

The new Impatiens is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Gensingen, Germany. The objective of the breedingprogram was to develop new Impatiens cultivars with numerous largeflowers and attractive foliage and flower coloration.

The new Impatiens originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in October, 2001, of a proprietary selection of Impatienshawkeri identified as code number 01-342, not patented, as the female,or seed, parent with the Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Kimpgua, disclosedin U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,429, as the male, or pollen, parent. Thecultivar KIE274 was discovered and selected by the Inventor as aflowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in acontrolled environment in Gensingen, Germany in March, 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings propagatedin a controlled environment in Gensingen, Germany since April, 2002 hasshown that the unique features of this new Impatiens are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations of asexualreproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar KIE274 has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensity,without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘KIE274’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘KIE274’ as a new and distinct cultivar of NewGuinea Impatiens:

-   -   1. Compact, upright, outwardly spreading and mounded plant        habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and bushy growth habit.    -   3. Dark green-colored leaves.    -   4. Freely flowering habit.    -   5. Large light purple-colored flowers with purple-colored        splotch; flowers positioned above and beyond the foliage.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Gensingen, Germany, plants ofthe new Impatiens differed from plants of the female parent selection inthe following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Impatiens were more compact than plants of        the female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Impatiens had larger flowers than plants of        the female parent selection.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Gensingen, Germany, plants ofthe new Impatiens differed from plants of the male parent, the cultivarKimpgua, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Impatiens were more compact than plants of        the cultivar Kimpgua.    -   2. Plants of the new Impatiens and the cultivar Kimpgua differed        in foliage coloration.    -   3. Plants of the new Impatiens had larger flowers than plants of        the cultivar Kimpgua.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the New GuineaImpatiens cultivar BFP-865, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,445. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Gensingen, Germany, plants of thenew Impatiens differed from plants of the cultivar BFP-865 in thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Impatiens and the cultivar BFP-865 differed        in foliage color.    -   2. Plants of the new Impatiens had larger flowers than plants of        the cultivar BFP-865.    -   3. Plants of the new Impatiens and the cultivar BFP-865 differed        in flower color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of thenew Impatiens. The photographs show the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describethe colors of the new Impatiens.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspectiveview of a typical flowering plant of ‘KIE274’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of a typicalflower of ‘KIE274’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The followingobservations and measurements describe plants grown in Encinitas, Calif.during the winter and early spring in a polyethylene-covered greenhouseand under conditions and practices which approximate those generallyused in commercial New Guinea Impatiens production. During theproduction of the plants, day temperatures averaged 24° C., nighttemperatures averaged 19° C. and light levels averaged 4,000 footcandles. Measurements and numerical values represent averages fortypical flowering plants. Single plants were grown in one-galloncontainers and were about 18 weeks old when the photographs and thedetailed description were taken.

-   Botanical classification: Impatiens hawkeri cultivar KIE274.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Impatiens            hawkeri identified as code number 01-342, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen parent.—Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Kimpgua,            disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,429.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 14 days at 23° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 17 days at 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 21 days            at 23° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 24 days            at 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white to brown in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form.—Compact, upright, outwardly spreading and            mounded plant habit.        -   Growth and branching habit.—Vigorous and freely branching            habit; about ten lateral branches developing at the base;            dense and bushy growth habit. Pinching, that is, removal of            the terminal apices, is typically not required, but will            enhance branching.        -   Plant height.—About 18 cm.        -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 44 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 16.5 cm. Diameter: About            9 mm. Internode length: About 4 cm. Texture: Smooth,            glabrous. Color: 148A tinted with 184A.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite or in whorls, simple.        -   Length.—About 10.5 cm.        -   Width.—About 3.3 cm.        -   Shape.—Elliptical.        -   Apex.—Acuminate.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Serrate with ciliation.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper surface: Darker than 147A.            Developing foliage, lower surface: Darker than 183A. Fully            expanded foliage, upper surface: Darker than 147A; venation,            183A. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 183A; venation,            183A.        -   Petiole.—Length: About 2.3 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,            upper and lower surfaces: 184B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single axillary flowers.            Freely flowering habit; usually about four to five open            flowers and flower buds per lateral branch. Flowers            positioned above the foliage and typically face upright or            outward. Flowers last about one week under greenhouse            conditions. Petals self-cleaning, gynoecium persistent.            Flowers not fragrant.        -   Natural flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse            conditions. In the garden, flowering from spring until fall            in Germany. Plants begin flowering about eight to twelve            weeks after planting.        -   Flower size.—Length: About 5.5 cm. Width: About 5.3 cm.            Depth: About 1.1 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2.4 cm. Diameter: About 1.1 cm.            Shape: Ovoid; pointed. Color: 67B.        -   Petals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five per flower in a single            whorl. Length, banner petal: About 2.6 cm. Length, lateral            petals: About 2.5 cm. Length, lower petals: About 3.2 cm.            Width, banner petal: About 3.7 cm. Width, lateral petals:            About 2.9 cm. Width, lower petals: About 3.4 cm. Shape:            Cordate. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Acute. Margin: Entire.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color:            When opening, upper surface: Banner petal: 78B; central            splotch, 67A. Lateral and lower petals: 77B to 77C. When            opening, lower surface: 77B; center, 67A. Fully opened,            upper surface: Banner petal: 78B; central splotch and base,            67A; color becoming closer to 77D with development. Lateral            and lower petals: 77C; towards the base, 67A; color becoming            closer to 77D with development. Fully opened, lower surface:            77C to 77D; towards the center, 67A.        -   Sepals.—Quantity/arrangement: Three; one modified into an            elongated spur. Length: About 1.2 cm. Width: About 4 mm.            Shape: Elliptical. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Obtuse. Margin:            Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.            Color, upper surface: 158C. Color, lower surface: 185A. Spur            length: About 4.2 cm. Spur diameter: At flower, about 3 mm;            at apex, less than 1 mm. Spur texture: Smooth, glabrous.            Spur color: 145C to 145D.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4.5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Angle: About 45° to 55° from vertical. Strength: Strong.            Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 146C.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: Five fused at            anthers; filaments free. Anther size: About 3 mm by 5 mm.            Anther color: 11B. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color:            11C. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About            4 mm. Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma color: 59C. Style color:            59A. Ovary color: 59A.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production have not been            observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Impatiens have not been    observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to New Guinea    Impatiens.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Impatiens have been    observed to tolerate temperatures from about 16° C. to about 30° C.

1. A new and distinct New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘KIE274’ asillustrated and described.